Archive for the 'media relations' Category

There’s been a whole lot of media on the new Brian Clough film ‘Damned Utd’. Or maybe there isn’t lots, and it is just very well targeted at Brian Clough fans like myself.

Either way, it got me thinking about why his well known quips were taken as justified confidence (albeit slipping into arrogance on occasion). Put briefly- when he said he was the best manager, people believed him.

Conviction counts.

Clearly that matters for anyone in the media spotlight. But is it soemthing you can coach? After al, in sport you have ‘confidence’ players. Is there such a thing as a ‘conviction’ spokesperson, who becomes more or less credible? (Clearly politicians are something of an exception).

This is moe of a thought than a statement. Interested in anyone else’s views.

The hands get sweaty, the heart beats faster, you check the armpits for visible perspiration. Take a swig of coffee. Recite your opening line under your breath for the hundredth time. And then…

We’ve all been there. No- not asking girls out- but selling in a story to that one media outlet you’ve always dreamt of.

For some it’s the FT. And yeah, it’s kind of cool when you engage the brainiest journos around (the pink just edges out the Economist for cool points, if not difficulty). Others might pick the Daily Mail; barometer of Britain ‘n’ all that. Maybe you’re all Google generation and actually your thrill is hitting the front page of Digg after pitching an ‘a lister’. (Although the immediacy of the thrill is less than trad media relations IMHO).

Well for me, a dream was realised this week, when I pitched Blue Peter. Yep, 50 years to the good, kids classic, staple of the British media landscape, birthplace of careers, and shaper of what little artistic and gardening talent I possess. It wasn’t just me that was excited either. Colleagues nearby sat listening in breathless anticipation. For those minutes I was like Ronaldo at Old Trafford, Nadal at Wimbeldon, Schumacher at Magny Cours, Armstrong at Alpe D’Huez… Well, anyway you get the general idea and level of hysteria I felt (even if I may be exaggerating my colleague’s animation).

God, just imagine what I’ll be like when (fingers crossed etc) the item airs. Knowing you contributed to the shape of even a minute of Blue Peter and did the day job helping clients? That’s BIG. At least for me (TM Media Geek ’08).